Centrifugal percussion-fuse for projectiles.



Q 8 S In ID gt; PATENTED MAY 1, 1906.

3.1. MBIGS & E. A. GATHMANN.

CENTRIFUGAL PERCUSSION FUSE FOR PROJEGTILBS. APPLICATION FILED JULY22,1905.

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31 we wto'm UNITED STATES PATENT onr ron.

JOHN F. MEIGS AND EMIL A. GATHMANN, OF SOUTH BEIH LEIIEM, PENN SYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO BETHLEHEM STEEL COMPANY, OF SOUTH" BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF I ENNS -YL'fifANIAi-i CENTRIFUGAL PERCUSSION-FUSE FOR PROJECTILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Fr mes-nay.1,1906.

Original application filed December 5, 1904:, Serial No. 236,668. Divided and this application filed uly 22,1905. SerialNo. 270,7i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J OHN F. Mnres and EMIL A. GATHMANN, citizens of the United States, and residents of South Bethlehem, Northampton county, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Centrifu a1 Percussive Fuses for Projectiles, of whic the following is a specification.

' This application is a division of our pending application, Serial No. 235,568, filed December 5, 1904.

Our invention comprises improvements in percussion-fuses for explosive projectiles;

and it consists in means whereby to lock the hammer or sliding portion of the fuse securely in place until the same is released by the centrifugal force resulting from the rota tion of the projectile, as fully set forth hereinafter and as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a fuse embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is an exterior view of the hammer and detent; Fig. 3, an end view of the hammer, andFig. 4 an end view of the detent.

The plug or casing l is threaded externally, as shown, for insertion in the openin at the rear of the proectile and is provide with a flange 2, whic acts as a gas-check. The chamber 3 of the plug or casing is open at the forward end for the reception of the head 4, which is threaded and adapted to screwthreads in the casing, and is provided with a seat 5 for the detonator or cap 6. Within the said chamber is the hammer or plunger 7, having a conical firing-pin8 projecting beyond the shoulder or end 9 of the hammer, so as to penetrate and explode the detonator 6 when the hammer moves forward on the arrest of the projectile.

To prevent the .forward movement of the hammer until the projectile is fired from the gun, we interpose a suitable detent or detents 10 between the end of the hammer and the forward wall of the chamber of such a rigid character and such dimensions that the firingpin cannot touch the detonator while the detent is in place. The-detent, however, is so constructed that it will readily move radially or laterally under centrifugal action, so that upon the firin of theprojectile its rotation Will insure the lateral displacement of the de tent, leaving the hammer free to move for ward by momentum when 'the iprojectlle strikes an object, so that the rotationgof the shell serves to unlock the hammer.

In the construction shown there-are two detents 10, connected by a U-shaped spring 1 1, fitting somewhat loosely in longlitudma recesses 12'in-opposite sides of the ammer and a transverse recess in the outer end of the hammer connecting said longitudinal recesses, the detents being adapted to nor- 'mally lie between the shoulder 9 of the hammer and the head 4 of the fuse.

5 The sprin is comparatively thin and light, so that it readily yield under centrifu al action when. the projectile is fired. It wi 1 be noted that the arrangement of the spring in the recesses of the hammer protects the spring from injury and also permits the hammer to lie solidly against the end wall of the fusechamber when in normal position, as shown in Fig. 1. It will also'be noted that no strain can come upon the spring by reason of dropping or rough handling of the fuse. In this respect our use is an improvement over some older forms of fuse in which a detent-spring supports the hammer and might be injured by shock to the fuse. While the detents present a ri id barrier to the longitudinal movement of the hammer, the spring cannot be strained or broken by dropping the fuse on either end. This is important, as it permits the spring to be made light enough to yield with certainty under centrifugal action.

It will be noted that when the detents are thrown outward by centrifugal force the hammer is disengaged both from the detent and the spring and is entirely free to slide in the chamber. In some forms of fuses heretofore proposed the spring-detents have been connected to the hammer. In such constructions the detents are thrown against the Wall of the hammered chamber and the friction of the detents on the wall tends to retard the hammer in its forward movement when the shell strikes, thus rendering its operation doubtful. In our improved construction the hammer is entirely free to move forward at the moment of impact of the shell upon the object which it strikes.

It will be evident that our invention may be embodied in fuses of other design than that shown. Hence We do not limit ourselves to the precise details illustrated and described.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1.. The combination in a fuse, of a chamered casing, a detonator supported at one end of the chamber thereof, a hammer adapted to slide in said chamber, a U-shaped spring cated between the forward mer and the end wall of the 2. The combination in a fuse, of a chamered casing, a detonator supported at one end of the chamber thereof, a hammer adapted to slide in said chamber and having oppositely-arranged longitudinal recesses and a transverse recess in its rear end, a U-shaped spring located in said recesses and extending to the forward end of the hammer, and detents carried by the ends of said spring and norfuse-chamber.

mally lo forward chamber, and

longitud with det stand between the forward Deer and 1e combination in a fuse, of a oasin having a chamber and a support for a detona tor at the forward end cated between the hammer and the end wall of the fuse-chamber.

a U-shape spring arran cd inally of the hammer and provl ed ents at its ends adapted normally'to end of the hamthe end wall of the chamber, the said Witne E P JOHN F. MEIGS. EMIL A. GATHMAN N sses:

DWIN A. MILLER, ATRIOK G. NOLAN. 

